The Vampiric legend has changed through out time. Everything
from the physical appearance to the phycological aspects of it very
being have changed to satisfy the needs of it's belivers. The myth of
the Vampire has changed drasticly since the days of
Peter Polojowitz. The Vampire has gone from an undecaying corpse
who strangled their victoms in a ghost-like form to the evil
bloodsucking undead that we love, hate, and love to hate. Several
writen accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries portrayed the Vampire
as never leaving the grave and haunting from individuals to whole
communities like ghosts. The Vampires of the past centuries were
little like the Vampires of today's society. When compaired to the
Vampire of today you can see the transformations it has gone through.
In the time of Plogojowitz Vampirism was considered a desiese or
plague that spread through the stinch of rotting corpses. That idea
was heald for a very long and did not only pertain to Vampirism. Many
of the so-called sighns of Vampirism varied in that time era. Some
corpses stank and others didn't, others held fresh blood in their
chest cavity and others didn't, but one that held strong through out
many cultures was the fact that their bodies did not decompose. Their
bodies stayed in tact and their flesh looked healthy and heald color.
Some accounts described the old skin falling away and new skin growing
from under. Other accounts illustrated the Vampire's hair and finger
and toe nails continued to grow.
The Vampires of today never go to the grave to be dug up again. Their
skin and bodies do not decompose like those of the past, but the
Vampires of the past never left the grave. Their is no writen account
describing the undead walking the earth. The only thing writen about
the interaction between mortals and the undead, the `Vampire` came to
them as ghosts or in fevered dreams.
The physical appearance of the Vampire has changed drasticly since the
17th century. Plogojowitz was a peasant who dressed not in the tux
and cape like the Hollywood depiction of Dracula, but in more or less
rags. Just common clothing that would have let him blend in even if
he had walked as an undead. (Which in his case would be impossable
for every one in the village knew he had died and been buried but I
hope that I have made my point) It was Bela Lugosi who helped start
the impression of a distinguished well dressed Vampire in a cape.
Today with modern culture the physical appearance of the Vampier has
changed to many diffrent images. They now have the freedom to assume
any social appearance they choose wether it be a distinguished
business man or a metal head wearing all black and leather. Much
diffrent from the tux and cape of the Hollywood Vampire of the early
20th century. Yet it in it's own way resimbles that of the first
writen accounts of the Vampire. They were the commons and did not
stand out of the croud.
The vampire represents everything forbiden and unknown to us at the
time we live. Wether it be sexual, violent, fear, or death itself.
Vampires are very sexual and violent beings which is often so-called
forbiden, they are able to cross lines which we ourselves are scared
to do. In many works of literature the Vampire is homosexual which
by many today is perceaved to wrong of sinful and most if not all
of society of centuries past saw as increadably sinful. They cross
the line of life and death, they are free to do as they wish and
follow the animal instinct that we all wish we could unleash, but fear
to. Vampires change with the times to fit the culture at hand.
Vampires allow us to rebel with our minds and dreams, they inspire
a since of freedom within our selves. The element of the Vampire that
scares us the most is that they have no boundries around thier actions.
Man kind has put restrictions around the Vampires so that we don't
feel completely powerless to the Vampire. We will only let our
imaginations go so far out of fear. We restrict our own ability to
cross the lines of society so we restrict our medium to release it.
Just as the Vampire can not go out in day so nether can our deepest
fanticies be brought out into the light of others.
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